The invention relates to a fixing device for a rail, in particular a running or guide rail for sliding fittings, in accordance with the precharacterizing clause of Patent claim 1.
Sliding doors which serve for shutting off and/or dividing rooms are normally suspended on a running mechanism which is guided in a rail. Rails of this type, which are normally fixed to the ceiling or to a side wall, and running-mechanism mountings suitable for them are described, for example, in the 2000 catalogue xe2x80x9cSchiebebeschlxc3xa4ge/Baubeschl{haeck over (a)}ge [Sliding fittings/building fittings]xe2x80x9d glass/metal from HAWA AG, Mettmenstetten (see, for example, page 14). This shows, among other things, that rails which have, for example, a U profile, are connected to the masonry by means of screws which are guided through holes in the rail. As DE-A1 3201 121 shows, the running and guide rails can also have flanges which are provided with holes for the fixing screws. Furthermore, WO 00/55460 reveals a rail which is provided with threaded holes and is connected to a wall by means of fixing screws and an angular element (see FIG. 5 below).
For mounting purposes, these rails therefore have to be provided, at a correspondingly high outlay, with the necessary holes, if appropriate with threaded holes, generally at the installation site. During the making of the holes, because of the metal-removing machining of the rail metal, particles often get onto the running surfaces of the rail, as a result of which damage can be caused to the wheels of the running mechanisms and the resultant running characteristics can be negatively affected. In addition, further damage due to scratches or distortion of the rail may arise during the mechanical machining and because of the direct mounting of the rail onto the masonry.
During the mounting of the rails, in particular in the context of renovation work, further problems may arise, depending on the structure of the material of the mounting locations.
As can be seen, for example, in DE-A1 3201 121, fixing means which are used, such as flanges, screws, etc., which remain visible after the rail has been mounted, can also have an annoying effect.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a fixing device by means of which a rail, in particular a running or guide rail for sliding fittings, can be fitted with little outlay and without the occurrence of the disadvantages described above.
This object is achieved by a fixing device which has the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in further claims.
The fixing device which serves for retaining a rail, in particular a running or guide rail, has a strip which is provided with an angular profile and can be connected with little outlay on one side to a wall and on the other side to a rail. The strip has two limbs which are provided for holding a rail, the first limb of which is provided with openings for the passing through of fixing screws which can be connected to the wall, and the second limb of which is provided with a T-profile-shaped longitudinal slot which is open towards the rail and serves for holding and for retaining a locking element which preferably has a thread for a mounting screw which can be connected to the rail.
The solution according to the invention gives rise to various advantages during production, mounting and during subsequent operation of the individual parts of the device. The rail and the strip provided for holding it can already be provided during the manufacturing with holes for the fixing and the mounting screws. Drilling and/or thread cutting during the mounting of the device is/are omitted, so that at the same time soiling or mechanical impairment of the rail is avoided. This ensures optimum functioning of the rail and of running mechanisms guided therein. The strip can be provided with a plurality of openings for fixing screws, since, after the device has been mounted, said openings together with the fixing screws are covered by the mounted rail and therefore do not have an annoying effect. Since the locking elements can be introduced into the longitudinal slot in any desired positions of the strip, the rail can likewise be provided with pre-manufactured holes which serve for the passing through of the mounting screws.
The mounting of the rail into the pre-fitted strip can therefore take place in a few moves. The locking element is introduced for this purpose into the longitudinal slot of the strip, rotated from position A into position B and subsequently tightened by rotating in the same direction. Of course, the release and refitting of the rail with the same parts is also possible in a similarly simple manner.
The dimensions of the rail and of the strip are preferably matched to one another, so that after the mounting is finished they visually form one unit. The inside of the strip is covered, so that no flanges or tabs can be seen. This design of the rail and strip enables their ends to advantageously be provided with a covering element which conceals any differences in length between the rail and strip there.
The mounting of the strip on walls of different material can take place without any problem. There are no special requirements made of the structure and design or the substrate to be provided with a rail, so that the device according to the invention can particularly advantageously be used even in renovations and reconstructions of buildings.
In a preferred refinement, the strip can also be connected in a simple manner to one or more spacer elements by means of which the distance of the rail from the wall can be set.
The rail preferably has at least approximately a U profile. However, it may also have other profile shapes. Furthermore, the use of double rails is possible. In this case, the corresponding limb of the strip preferably has two longitudinal slots running parallel.